'Most Presbyterian Churches are well on the way to fulfilling the requirements on access for people with disability as required by the Disability Discrimination Act,' says Lindsay Conway, the denomination's Director of Social Service, but he warns, 'there is still some work to be done in most congregations.'
In 1995 the Disability Discrimination Act established the principle of 'access as a civil right' to all buildings in public use including churches and church halls. The provisions of the Act in respect of employment have been in place since 1999 and by October 2004, the regulations with regard to property come into force. By then churches and other public buildings will be required to provide 'inclusion' for disabled people by achieving accessibility. And if the buildings don't come up to the mark Churches could face legal action on the grounds of unlawful discrimination.
Mr Conway is urging Presbyterian Churches to carry out accessibility audits of their property to ensure that by the October 2004 deadline they have undertaken both the necessary physical changes that might be required as well as having clear plans in place to ensure that people with disabilities are not discriminated against.
There are no definitive standards as to what is required for any particular building but among the areas that should be considered are access to the church site, car parking, level changes at the entrances and within the building, provision of handrails, signage and toilet facilities.
There are other less obvious areas that may also require attention such as better lighting and provision of large print bibles and hymnbooks for the visually impaired. For the hard of hearing a sound amplification is also important and the installation of an induction loop system for hearing aid users. Another issue that churches may need to address is creating space where people in wheel chairs can sit as part of the congregation rather than in an aisle.
'To clarify what is considered appropriate and necessary for churches, an inter church group including representatives from the Presbyterian Board of Social Witness will be meeting with Disability Action soon,' says Lindsay Conway, 'and it is hoped that clearer guidance can be given following those discussions.'
Further advice and resource materials on the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act are available from The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Disability Action and the William Keown Trust.
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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